President. I do not believe our policy rests upon Manila. I do not believe that Manila will ever be a particularly advantageous port for us through which to secure the Asiatic trade. I wish to repeat that the advantage of holding M anila is that somebody else shall not have it to our detriment. and not that we can make it the basis for Asiatic trade. I have in my hands here a speech made by Mr. HILL of Connecticut. a distinguished member of the House belonging to the Tolitical party which has control of the Government. published n the National Geographic Magazine. with reference to our trade with China. to which I wish to call the attention of the Senator from Massachusetts and to the attention of the Senate. because it accords exactly with my ideas about this matter. and I have not been a careless observer of affairs in the Asiatic world for the last twenty years. Mr. HL had made a trip around the world. and these are his conclusions: There is no sphere of influence for us there. and to look upon Manila as a base for Chinese trade is like chasing rainbows for a ot of god. for commercial bases are not established 60t miles at sea and where storage and reshipment chares would he more th the direct freight to the destined market. The integrity of China can not be preserved hy a protectorate of the powers. and if it conld the people of this country would not permit our Government to he a partner in it. China must reform herself or go to pieces speedily. My judgment is that her destiny is slow hut sure absorption by Asiatic Russia. and that the world will be the gainer hy the change. I agree to the first proposition. that there is every probability that Asiatic Russia will absorb China. but I do not believe China will be the gainer. nor do I believe the world will be a gainer. although I think China will suffer less. practically. than we and the other peoples. I do not know what the late treaty between Japan and England. by which it is said they have agreed to enter into an alliance to protect the autonomy of China and hold it. may result in. but I hope that the report that Chinas autonomy is to be maintained is true. I said in the fall of 1897. and a little later. in the first month of 1898. that that was a very desirable thing to secure. and that I believed it was the duty of Great Britain and the United States to say to Russia. "Hands off of China." But we did not do that and Russia has moved into Manchuria.